Chornalth Adventures - Liga

Elerra Vae

Drow Princess of the First House of the Vault, Marked by Llolth, Chosen by Ellistrae

Description:

Elerra Vae was born the second daughter of Zinzenera Vae, ruler of the Third House of Erelhei-Cinlu (The Chief City of The Vault, or The Vault of the Drow as Surface Dwellers call it). Bearing the Mark of Llolth ( spider-like birthmark resting atop her right breast) on her upon her birth, Elerra’s birth was seen as a blessing of the Goddess, a child destined for great things. The last drow to bear Llolth’s Mark was the great Drow Matriarch Xen’dricia Eilserv, founder of the Original First House of Erelhei-Cinlu.
As Elerra grew and matured, she demonstrated an innate talent for Magic, and began training with Qilu’e Vae, a sorceress of immense power and sister and advisor to Elerra’s mother, Zinzenera. Elerra reveled in the life of a drow noble, and the daughter of the Heads of one of the Ruling Houses, living a life of luxury and revelry, all while continuing her studies into the sorcerous arts. Like all members of the ruling family of House Vae, Elerra showed evidence of the Demonic heritage that lies somewhere deep within the family’s past, showing a particular talent for bearing and wielding Hellfire.
When the Greyhawk Wars (and ensuing Priestess Wars in the Vault) erupted, it was Elerra that enabled House Vae to emerge from the chaos as the ruling House of The Vault. Through her, Lloth herself caused Eclavdra Eilserv to agree to Llolth’s terms and end The Priestess Wars. Elerra has little to no memory of the time that the Queen of Spiders possessed her body as an avatar, nor memory of the month afterwards. All the young drow remembers is pure darkness and a hatred which twisted her stomach and nearly brought her to tears.
During her recovery from Llolth’s possession, Elerra began to dream of a female drow, dancing in the moonlight. This drow began to speak to the young sorceress in her dreams, and Elerra eventually learned that this was Ellistrae, the wayward daughter of Llolth. In Ellistrae, Elerra found a kindred spirit. During her month comatose, Elerra spent much time conversing with Ellistrae, learning of the beauty of the surface world, and that her life could follow a path other than that dictated by her House and Llolth.
Upon recovery, Elerra was determined to leave Erelhei-Cinlu, and find a cavern that Ellistrae had told her of. She spent weeks preparing, all the while following her duties to family, and continuing her life of revelry, to avoid detection. During this time, she began combing Qilu’e’s libraries and laboratories for anything that might aid her in her journey.
This research revealed to Elerra the location of the cave from her dreams…a cavern where trapped moonlight still shone, the floor divided by a river of clear water, wherein, at the bottom, was a necklace made of purest White Gold, bearing 3 moonstones, Ellistrae’s Necklace. This cavern, sacred to her new Goddess, was where she would confirm her newfound faith and activate the Caverns defenses, ensuring that the sacred waters could never be tainted by Llolth.
Her preparations completed, Elerra made her way form the city and began her trek through the Underdark to The Cavern of Ellistrae. However, she was betrayed by the Mark of Llolth, which she still bore. Llolth, her attention again turning to The Vault, detected the betrayal of her chosen, and the Goddess dispatched a Handmaiden to Zinzenera to tell her of her daughter’s betrayal. Furious, Zinzenera dispatched Quilu’e and a squad of drow soldiers to capture Elerra and return her wayward daughter to The City, where she would then undergo the Trial of Llolth, and either emerge purified of Ellistrae’s taint, or become a Drider in service to House Vae.
Sheer luck, and perhaps the watchfulness of Ellistrae, allowed Elerra to avoid capture and she made her way to The Cavern of Ellistrae. There she found herself suddenly bathed in moonlight, as Quilu’e and her forces entered the sacred Cavern. The moonlight protected Elerra from Quilu’e’s attacks as well as the weapons of the drow soldiers, as a Planetar, a being of pure goodness, materialized within the cavern and fought for Elerra’s protection. Quilu’e fled before the being of goodness, even as the squad sent with her died to secure her escape.
Following the battle, the Planetar spoke to Elerra, telling her that she was indeed Favored of Ellistrae, and to seek out The City of Greyhawk, where she would find a Shrine to the Goddess, and to speak with the Priestess who watched over the Shrine, Triel Akh’Velar. Before departing, the planetar showed Elerra where to find the Necklace, telling her to wear it always and never remove it, as it alone would protect her from Llolth’s sight, disrupting the connection between Elerra’s soul and the Queen of Spider’s abilities to see and dominate her through Llolth’s Mark.
Following the Planetar’s departure, Elerra picked up the Necklace, as she had been directed, and placed it around her neck. Upon securing it around her neck, there was a flash of blinding light, and Elerra found herself on the surface. When her sight returned, Elerra discovered she was in a city. A city unlike any she had ever seen. She was lying in an alleyway, the hustle and bustle of Greyhawk City’s evening erupting outside her view. Looking up, she behind the stars and the moon, quite different from the ceiling in The Vault. However, the sight held no fear for her, for she knew her goddess was with her. As she stood up, pulling a cloak and fine silk gloves from her supplies, a human boy entered the Alley. Donning the cloak and gloves in an attempt to hide her Drow heritage (she had been raised on stories of how surface dwellers hated and feared her people and would kill them on site), Elerra looked at the boy, who, in perfect Drow told her, “You will go to The Green Dragon Inn” and promptly told her how to get there. Before Elerra could question the boy, he had run off, back into the crowded streets of the city.
Knowing very little of where she was, and quite hungry, Elerra followed the boys directions and entered into The Green Dragon Inn.